Sponcers (Christmas)

Party: Geoff Norris, Steve Reid, Roger Lockwood, Phil La[unclear: u]rd, John Bailey, George Preddey, Terr Waghorn.

Lake Rotorea- Sabine - West Sabine - Lake Constance - Waiau Pass - Upper Waiau Valley - Ada Pass - Maruia.

The trip was to have started on Boxing day, but because of troubles with the Aramoana it was not till the 27th that our full compliment was standi on the shore of lake Rotoroe preparing to be ferried to the lakehead. For the leader, Geoff and three othersit was their second visit to the area. John, George and Terry made up the rest of the party, which the two last-named, in the absence of a restraining female element, kept rather delightfully unclean.

After two days of bush travel and another day involving the steep but not difficult 6000 foot Waiau pass we came onto the open grass plains of the Waiau valley and our daily stretches were oasier so allowing us to fit in two climbing days. These attempts were only partially successful as we did not complete the summit ridge of Una, though six reached the summit of Faerie Queen. (Both these peaks are accessible to within three miles by Land Rover.)

We were fortunate that our way led us past the old Ada Homestead (deserted) at the juntion of the Waiau and Ada Streams, for we here found gooseberries and cherr at approximately the appropriate level of maturity. It was after Ada Homestead that the sugar situation improved noticeably also. We were blessed with fine weather for almost the whole trip and our only hut was that of the Cutc on the Ada Pass where (since it was raining) some of us spent an extra day. Our first glimpse of civilisation on omerging was, appropriately enough, the Maruia hotel where we spent a short time before dispersing.

R.L.